He's back
It was Tuesday when he walked through the choir room door. The tall, handsome, angry kid that she thought she had left behind. 'Hey, there he is!' Mr Schu exclaimed. 'Everyone, I'd like you to welcome Josh, he's a transfer student from New York.' He shook Josh's hand and the glee club gave him a round of applause. 'Wow, New York!' Rachel said, over excited at the prospect. 'Yeah,' he said, 'I was a performer, off Broadway but still.' He seemed very smug, something that most of the glee club caught on to, as he went to sit down next to Finn.
At the back of the room, Santana was next to Quinn. 'Wait, why does he sound familiar to me? I mean his name, New York? I feel like I know him.' She whispered to Santana, who hadn't stopped staring in front of her. 'Santana?' she repeated, and then she realised. 'Oh my god, Santana that's..'
'Yeah, I know.' She interrupted, and looked at Quinn. 'I know.' Tears were forming in her eyes, and all Quinn could do was look sympathetic. She knew this could get really bad.
Mr Schu was explaining the lesson plan for the next week. 'So, I want you to all pick a song that reflects an emotion.'
'What kind of emotion?' Tina asked.
'Something that you might be afraid to show or say. I really want you guys to dig deep this time and then everyone will get up here and perform.' He smiled.
'Wait, everyone get's a solo?' Kurt was very excited.
'Yeah but we need to start tomorrow to fit everyone in so if you have an idea, go for it.'
The bell rang, and they all got up and walked out of the choir room, all of them except Santana and Quinn. 'Do you want to talk about it?' Quinn said.
'No, it's fine Quinn, it's been what, six months. I'm over it.' She kept the hard outer shell even though Quinn knew this hurt her.
'Santana, you don't just get over something like that, and now he's here in our school. What he did to you…' She was cut off.
'I know what he did Quinn, and I'm fine.' She got up and left the room, brushing past Mr Schu. 'Everything okay Quinn?'
'No, Mr Schu it's not. And I might need your help, would that be cool if I needed to talk to you?'
'Of course Quinn, my door is always open. And you have my number on your alcohol pledge form.' He smiled.
'Thanks Mr Schu, I'll see you tomorrow.'
As Quinn left the choir room, she saw Santana standing at her locker, and Josh was standing over her. 'Hey San, been a while.' He said slyly.
'Leave me alone.' She said, not looking at his face. He was much taller than her so she was staring into his chest. She went to leave, but he put his hand against the locker, his arm blocking her path. Now she looked into his eyes. Quinn was watching, in case anything started she needed to be ready. 'Please move.' Santana asked, and Quinn had never seen her so defeated. 'No.' He said angrily.
'What, what do you want?'
'I want you, again.' He smiled. 'Come on San, you know you liked it.' He went to tough her face, but she flinched away from him, backing up into the locker even further. Quinn knew it was time to move. 'Hey Santana,' she said jogging over, 'can you help me with this glee assignment, I'm completely stuck.' Santana nodded, Josh moved his arm and Quinn pulled Santana out of his reach.
'Thanks Quinn,' she said gratefully as the girls walked away.
'Don't mention it. I've got your back.'
Over the next few days, the glee kids all performed their songs. Songs about love mostly, stuff that everyone knew about. But now it was Santana's turn, and she was going to go somewhere that she never wanted to. She was going to show people a side of herself that they probably wouldn't believe. Everyone except Quinn, who knew exactly what happened, and what Josh had taken from her. 'Alright, very nice Mercedes, very diva!' Mr Schu shouted as they clapped her back to her seat. 'Now, Santana, you're the last to go.' He said smiling. Quinn squeezed her hand and Santana got up from her seat and took centre stage in the choir room. 'Okay, so this song is for Josh.' She said, causing him and everyone else to stare at her. But before they could ask why, the music started.
Turn my back to the door
Feel so much better now
Don't even try anymore
Nothing left to lose
There's a voice that's in the air
Saying don't look back nowhere
There's a voice that's always there,
The entire club was watching her, confused. And Josh's eyes had turned dark, and evil as Santana stared right at him, putting more feeling into the words than the glee club even knew she had.
And I'll never be
Quite the same as I was before
This part of you still remains
Though it's out of focus
You're just somewhere that I've been
And I won't go back again
You're just somewhere that I've been
They were beginning to get the picture, Josh and Santana had been together at some point. Quinn was fighting back tears, and Mr Schu saw this. Santana, however, wasn't holding them back, but her voice never faltered as she cried. And they could all see the fear in her eyes.
I'm breathing in, breathing out
Ain't that what it's all about
I'm living life crazy loud
Like I have the right to
No more words in my mouth
Nothing left to figure out,
butI don't think I'll ever break through
The ghost of you
Brittany was staring at her best friend, and thinking how she didn't know about this. But then again, maybe she just forgot. She hardly remembered anything around shark week so maybe that was when whatever happened, happened. They guys were looking around, specifically at Josh, who was staring at Santana just as hard as she was staring at him. But it was anger, not fear that was crossing his face.
And I'll never be like I was
The day I met you
Too naive, yes I was
Boy that's why I let you win
Wear your memory like a stain
Can't erase or numb the pain
Here to stay with me forever
I'm breathing in, breathing out
Ain't that what it's all about
Living life crazy loud
Like I have the right to
No more words in my mouth
Nothing left to figure out,
butI don't think I'll ever break through
The ghost of you
One of these daysI'll wake up from this bad dream I'm dreaming
One of these daysI'll pray that I'll be over, over, over you
One of these daysI'll realize that I'm so tired of feeling confused
But for now there's a reason thatYou're still here in my heart
The song was coming to a close, and Santana was all out of tears. Her face was stained with tear lines, and her hands were tightly clenched at her sides as she sang. No one had ever seen this much emotion come from Santana, and now they just wanted to know what it was all about. They saw Quinn was reacting almost the same as Santana, they knew she knew, and they heard Santana sing the final chorus.
Breathing in, breathing out
Breathing in, breathing out
Like I have the right to
No more words in my mouth
Nothing left to figure out,
butI don't think I'll ever break through
The ghost of you
A quiet round of applause echoed through the room as the music finished, Santana and Josh staring at each other. 'Well, that was really good Santana, you sounded great.' Mr Schu said, breaking the silence.
'Thanks Mr Schu,' she sniffed.
'But what the hell was that about, guys?' Artie said, directing the question at Santana and Josh.
'Nothing.' Josh growled. 'Right Santana?'
'Nothing my ass,' Quinn yelled at him. 'Santana tell them.'
'She wouldn't dare.' Josh snorted, and everyone was wondering what happened.
'Hey, what the hell is going on here guys?' Mr Schu cut in. 'Santana, do you know each other?'
'Yeah Mr Schu, something like that.' She said quietly.
'We met in New York, over the summer. Santana was with her parents and she came to one of my shows.'
'Is that it?' Tina said, 'Kind of anticlimactic.'
'Not funny Tina. What went on, Santana are you alright?' He said as she saw she had begun to cry again.
'I'm fine Mr Schu, it's nothing.'
'That song didn't seem like nothing Santana.' Mr Schu said, concerned. Santana remained silent.
'Santana,' Quinn said, 'If you don't tell them I will.' Santana shot Quinn a look, and so did Josh.
'You have no right to do that.' Josh stood up, glaring at her.
'I have no right! You have got to be kidding me!' Quinn shouted, also standing up. 'You had no right to do what you did to her, you are pure evil!'
'Hey enough!' Mr Schu shouted.
'No, Mr Schu, he has to leave, I'm not letting Santana go through this again.'
'Go through what? Quinn tell us what is going on and we can help.' Mr Schu said, lightening his tone.
'Santana, are you okay with that?' Quinn asked gently.
'Yeah, I need him gone, I cant do this on my own Quinn.' She smiled at the cheerio.
'Don't you dare. Santana, baby come on.' He pleaded, walking over to her. Santana backed away quickly, but he kept coming until he had grabbed her arms. 'Let go of me Josh.' She said. He didn't let go.
'Hey, buddy, you heard her. Back the hell off.' Puck shouted, rising from his seat. He did, and stood their staring at the football player. 'Go ahead Quinn.' Mr Schu said.
'It was when school started again, I found out. Santana showed up on my doorstep crying her heart out, because of you,' she looked at Josh. 'She told me that whilst she was on vacation in New York with her parents, a really cute guy had asked her out. They went to dinner and a movie and it was all great. Until, at the end of the night when she wanted to go back to her hotel, he wanted something else. She told me that the whole night was perfect, up until the moment he raped her.' They all gasped, as Mr Schu went over to Josh.
'Is that true?' He glared angrily. 'Did you?' Santana had backed up against the wall, crying again as she slid down it and hugged her knees. 'Does it matter?' He smiled, 'No one is ever going to believe that slut.' He pointed at her viciously and then walked out of the choir room.
'Santana,' Quinn was by her side. 'Are you okay?' She just shook her head.
'Don't worry Santana, we'll fix this okay, I promise.' Mr Schu said, as the rest of the glee club looked on in silence, at their most hard headed of friends, broken and crying on the choir room floor. 'It's okay Mr Schu. You cant fix something when part of it's missing.' She smiled at him, and his heart broke for her.
They never saw Josh again.
(Song - Selena Gomez and the Scene, Ghost of you.)